European Union/Mericosur/NATO

[TheSensitiveNewAge]

This is an opion poll for people living in member countries of the EU and Mericosur. What do you think of it? Pros, cons, wierdinesses, etc. I am only asking the opinions of people who live in member nations.

As to NATO, do people still see a need for it? This is open to all.

For those who do not know about Mericosur, it is more than NAFTA and less than the EU. It grew out of treaties between Brazil and Argentina during the 1980s. Now it includes Urguay, Praguay, and a couple of other small South American nations. Chile is an associate member. There are discussions of a Mericosur currency.

If there are any other similar organizations like NATO, NAFTA, EU or Mericosur that are not well known, please enlighten us all, or at least me.

[Kellopalopalis]

NATO is not quite like the other nations, in that its primary function is not trade. In fact, I'm not quite sure what function NATO has anymore. Now that the crusade against communism is over, NATO doesn't really do much...

[Alfonia]

Here's a big weirdiness about the euro... I didn't like that they didn't use the complete map of europe on the coin's frontsides. Why? because Sweden and Finland looks like what this forum describes as a "Thingy" on the coins...

See? it actually looks like it...

OK, so let's be serious...
I only have one complaint about the EU. I do not like the way that the EU has made alcohol cheaper. Sweden has been a country with somewhat restrictive alcohol-politics for a long while, and therefore alcoholism hasn't been such a big problem here. Now with the EU, it is too easy for alcoholics to travel to Germany or Poland and buy lots of cheap alcohol. Since Sweden is a typical welfare state, the taxpayers will have to pay for the treatment of these persons, and considering that Sweden has the highest taxes in the world already, this isn't helping.

[TheSensitiveNewAge]

Thanks Alfonia, that was something I never would have thought about. I heard about the illegal immigration problems before though.

[Alfonia]

Oh yes, There has been lots of discussions about if people from the new EU countries would emigrate in masses to the rich western countries. I do not think that it will be so, as the future looks very bright for some of the nations (especially Estonia and Czech republic (sp?)). Some countries have tightened their immigration laws because they're afraid of immigration problems, however Sweden hasn't, and I think that it is good.
As I said, I am most concerned about the Alcohol, especially it's very easily to get for people under 18 (the age when you can drink here, when you're 20 years you can buy alcohol from the state-run monopoly company). And as we all know, when alcohol consumption goes up, so does the amount of money we have to spend on prisons and healthcare, the last time the swedes consumed as much alcohol/person and year as they do today was in 1875, and back in the 1800's Sweden was a backwards potato-growing country were alcoholism was very common. I just hope we do not go back to that.

[Kellopalopalis]

^correct spelling